U.S. President Trump sparked a new diplomatic clash on Wednesday after accusing South Africa of carrying out a supposed “genocide” against the white Afrikaner minority during a meeting with his counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, at the White House. 

In an unusual move, Trump ordered the projection of a nearly five-minute video showing African politicians calling for violence against whites, along with images of crosses and burial mounds that he claimed represented more than a thousand murdered farmers.

“In general, these are white farmers fleeing South Africa, and it’s very sad to see. I hope we can get an explanation,” Trump told reporters. 

Ramaphosa responded firmly, categorically rejecting the existence of any “Afrikaner genocide” and stressing that the narratives promoted by Trump do not reflect the reality in his country.

“If there really were a genocide against Afrikaner farmers, I can assure you these people would not be here—including my own Minister of Agriculture,” said the South African president, pointing to members of his delegation. 

Tensions escalated further when journalists asked about the arrival of Afrikaner families in the United States under refugee status—something recently approved despite Trump’s administration having drastically cut other resettlement programs.

Trump doubled down, insisting there were “thousands of stories” confirming persecution and made clear he would not change his position. 

Visibly uncomfortable during the video screening, Ramaphosa remarked: “I’d like to know where that is, because I haven’t seen it.” He went on to stress that while crime is a serious issue in South Africa, most victims are Black citizens. “To claim otherwise is a distortion of the situation,” he said. 

Trump: the ability to make presidents nervous

The episode reminded international analysts of Trump’s tense February meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, where he similarly used an official diplomatic event to push his own political agenda. 

The South African government later said it would continue engaging with Washington but emphasized that Trump’s accusations do little to strengthen bilateral ties. Ramaphosa’s administration is seeking to keep the focus on trade cooperation and security issues. 

It is worth noting that although whites make up only 7.3% of South Africa’s population, they still own the vast majority of the country’s farmland—an historically sensitive issue that continues to fuel political and social tensions.